Flagstaff Business News reached out to Leslie Connell, owner of Flagstaff Discovery Map and Guide.
Describe your business and how you ended up choosing this direction.
The Flagstaff Discovery Map is a tool for visitors who are unfamiliar with what there is to do when they get here. I print 150,000 maps to pass out for free, and it’s supported by our advertisers. The map was started in Flagstaff in 2000, and I purchased it in 2004. We are part of the Discovery Map International, Inc. franchise group, so I own the Flagstaff territory. I put out the Map once a year – in April, and do sales from September through December.
At that time, there was no Guest Room Directory – I put that program together in the first year. The Directory is a classy, 6-ring binder, filled with information on Flagstaff, events, articles and advertising. It’s placed directly in the rooms of the participating hotels. The Guide is placed in 16 hotels, and some B&B’s in town, again, to educate their guests on things to do, places to shop and where to eat while in Flagstaff.
I came to Flagstaff in 1994 with Marriott International. I’d started with them in southern California, transferring after a couple of years to Tucson. While living in Tucson, I came to Flagstaff often with my sons to camp, enjoy the woods and the weather, and just hang out. We came up every chance we got. Finally, they built the Residence Inn here, and I was able to transfer and make Flagstaff my home.
In 2001, I was offered a position with the City as the Director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. By then, I was totally in love with Flagstaff, and was excited to be a part of marketing the community to the world.
When the opportunity arose to purchase the map, and become self-employed, I jumped at the chance. As a hotelier, I had been a “user” of the map. I saw how valuable it was to our guests, and to the front line personnel who were often new to Flagstaff. It was a great training tool for them; they learned what Flagstaff had to offer along with the guests.
I had also been a main distributer of the map through the Visitor Center. The map was (and, proudly, still is!) the main vehicle that the staff used to guide visitors around our town. The process of explaining where things are makes the visitors feel taken care of, and they are thrilled to get to keep it and use it.
It was a little frightening, the thought of not having the guaranteed paycheck. But I already knew the value of the map. As I look back, I’m so grateful to have had this chance. I make my own schedule, I’m responsible for the success or failure of the business and I have time to be involved with some of the organizations I care deeply about.
Technology has changed dramatically in the world of maps and map making. How have these changes helped or hindered you in your efforts?
A few times over the years, people have said that GPS, Google maps, Yahoo maps, et al, would surely put me out of business.
So far, they’ve been way off of the mark. People like to have maps in their hands as they explore. Sure, there is a place for the phone apps, and online maps – but they don’t give the visitor local information in the same way that the map does.
We recently traveled through 7 states on our vacation – and yes, we used GPS and Yelp and Tripadvisor and Mapquest. As soon as we put feet on the street in a town, we went in search of a local map – to get the big picture, to see what was there, to see where the concentration of businesses we wanted to visit were.
If you sit on a park bench downtown on a summer afternoon, you’ll see a surprising number of people with the folded map in their hands, getting their bearings, and seeing where they’re headed next.
And they’re speaking German, French, Japanese…but the nice thing about the map is that the artwork is based on easily identifiable landmarks – so they can still figure out what’s what – even with a potential language barrier.
That being said, Discovery Map has been extremely aggressive about creating meaningful online tie-ins to the map. There is an interactive version of my map online at www.FlagMap.com. You can scroll around, look at individual businesses, link to them directly if you wish, and plan out your future visit to Flagstaff.
There is the MapApp™, which allows businesses to embed the map on their website. It works like a Google map in that it zooms to the location of the business on the map, but it’s much more fun, as it uses the artwork from the map itself. It’ll also give you directions from your location to the business. It also allows you to personalize the map – you can add any events or other locations you wish.
As well, there is a MapApp™ available to embed on your Facebook page. It works in a similar manner.
I don’t think there are any other maps out there who offer as good of an interface to the web as we do.
What is something about your business people would find surprising?
I choose to focus on local businesses as much as possible. I have many hoteliers on the map, and some are chains, but they are also among my main distributers. If you look at the shopping, dining, and recreation activities – they are almost all locally owned and operated.
I’ve been involved with two organizations in town that have influenced me greatly in this decision.
I’m a past board member of FIBA (Flagstaff Independent Business Alliance) who promotes local businesses. I am an associate member of FIBA, and I really believe in their mission. I believe that local businesses are important to the cultural fabric of our community. Without their perspectives, we would not be the unique community that we are. I am not opposed to chains, but I believe that we, as a community, should be mindful about where they locate – so we can retain our local charm and culture in areas such as Downtown, for instance.
I’m also involved with the Downtown Business Alliance. The organization has worked diligently on the parking, maintenance, cleanliness and improvement issues that are somewhat unique to Downtown. Currently, we’re working on a PBID (Property Business Improvement District) which would give the downtown business people responsibility for the items mentioned above. In order for downtown businesses to prosper, some changes need to occur. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think we have something pretty special in our historic downtown area, and I’d love to see it preserved and hopefully enhanced.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to start a business in Northern Arizona?
Do your homework. Get as much information as possible about like businesses, what’s working with them, and what’s not working.
Make a specific business and marketing plan, and stick to it- until it doesn’t work anymore; then, make adjustments based on what you’re seeing and be willing to make the changes. Don’t be afraid to mark up your plan, and read it regularly, and leave yourself the flexibility to respond to changes in the marketplace.
Before moving into a storefront, spend some time there. Is your target audience able to find it? Are they able to park there? Are they able to get there with traffic patterns?
Flagstaff is a small town. Pay your bills. Don’t whine and moan to your customers. Be ethical. Be honest. Treat your customers and your employees well.
Over the years, I have seen many businesses come and go. I can almost tell now when I walk into a new business, if it’ll even be here next year. Many business owners seem to make the same mistakes.
How do you market your business?
My business is a little different. My target market is my advertisers, including store owners, restaurant owners, and hotel general managers. Because of this, my “marketing” is mostly based on relationship building and direct sales. I try to be involved with the community so that I can network with new businesses and see my regular customers.
I try and shop and dine with my customers as often as possible. They support me, I support them. I promote them through venues such as Facebook. I refer them when I have the opportunity – for instance when I get direct emails or phone calls asking for recommendations. I hope that they remember this when it is time to renew their advertising with me. They usually do.
I have been so lucky to live in a town like Flagstaff, where there are so many wonderful people. Many of my customers I feel are my friends. They treat me so well, and in return I try and help them out with outside projects when I can. Sometimes, I feel that it’s ridiculous to call what I do “a job”. It’s just so much fun, and is so rewarding.
Leslie Connell can be reached at (928)526-2146 or at by email at LeslieC@DiscoveryMap.com